April 2014

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Balloons, ice-cream cake and whipped cream - Australia Zoo's beautiful Sumatran tigers like to celebrate their birthday like any other ten year old!

Tiger triplets Singha, Ranu and Juma celebrated a very special milestone on April 1. Not only was it their 10th birthday, but it also represents 10 years of being ambassadors for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger in the wild.

Born at the Mogo Zoo on the south coast of New South Wales, Singha, Ranu and Juma arrived at Australia Zoo as tiny cubs at just three weeks of age. These days they live a happy life here with our other Bengal and Sumatran tigers, including our cute cubs Hunter and Clarence that were successfully bred at Australia Zoo.

Our tigers love their dairy, and for a birthday as special as this one, we go all out - whipped cream and all! The birthday boys and girl spent their morning enjoying their treats in the company of our tiger keepers, who work passionately towards their cause each and every day.

Our gorgeous girl Singha and cheeky boys Ranu and Juma play a pivotal role in our Australia Zoo breeding and conservation programs. It is believed that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild due to habitat destruction and illegal poaching. As a result, the diminishing wild Sumatran tiger population relies largely on our breeding program - which is one of the most successful in the world - to keep the species in existence.

Our tiger triplets are not only vital to conservation, but are a testament to ten happy and healthy years at Australia Zoo. Sumatran tigers live between 10 -15 years in the wild, but can live up to 20 years in captivity.

Would you like to give our tiger triplets a birthday present? Give the gift of their survival. A visit to Australia Zoo funds the work that we do for tiger conservation and breeding. Australia Zoo proudly supports the Tiger 511 program, so be sure to book in for one of the awesome tiger encounters we have on offer these school holidays!

Our charity Wildlife Warriors also funds conservation in Sumatra, Indonesia by supplying Tiger Conservation and Protection Units. These are fitted with equipment, veterinary supplies and trained personnel that are on the ground to protect our tigers from poachers. Read more about the work that they do here: http://www.australiazoo.com.au/conservation/projects/tigers/